Page 77 of The Empty Throne

"I guess you'll find out, won't you?" Cohearetorted, because it was the not knowing, the anticipation ofwondering what Cohea would do to him, that Keris liked best.Youcan do whatever you want to me, every dirty little fantasy in yourbooks. Whatever. You. Want. I give you full permission to make meyour helpless prisoner… Three days. Starting now."

Cohea had immediately backhanded him, senthim reeling backwards, stumbling in an awkward way that wasanathema to everything Keris. Then he'd yanked him back in, thrownhim over his desk, and fucked him hard and rough. Hadn't evenneeded to prep him, because Keris had clearly been planning theirlittle game all along.Every dirty fantasyhe'd said, andCohea had made significant work on that very long list. But forevery one he marked off, Keris inspired five more.

In the end, when it was all laid bare, theywere complementing darknesses.

He wrapped his fingers around Keri's throat,used his thumb to force his chin up, staring into the fathomlessdark of Keris's bewitching blue-black eyes.

People were fools if they believed for even asecond that he didn't know what he'd gotten himself into. He wouldchoose Keris's twisted, venomous heart over anyone andanything.

Reluctantly letting go, he turned. "Come on.I want to see my friends, and I have every faith you could use somefood."

"I want ramen with fried pork."

"As you wish, moon shadow."

He led the way into the parlor, smiling ingreeting as the others looked their way at the sound of the dooropening. A nearby servant, standing attentively against the wallwaiting to serve the king and his friends as needed, steppedforward. "Your Grace."

"Nerte, could you have food brought for meand Lord Keris? Fried pork ramen for him; I'd like grilled eel ifpossible, otherwise whatever grilled fish the kitchens have to handis fine. Thank you."

Nerte bowed and departed smoothly through adiscreet, easily overlooked servant's passage, and Cohea went tosprawl in his usual chair, a broad, comfortable armchair heavyenough it didn't shift when he sat down like so many of the moredelicate pieces scattered about the palace. Keris, predictably,took a seat in the corner facing the door and windows against thesouth wall.

"Keris, Cohea, it's good to see you both,"Sobeki replied. "How was your day?"

"Tedious," Cohea replied.

"Delightful," Keris said, and before Sobekicould ask, added, "Don't worry, all your prisoner numbers will lineup properly."

Sobeki chuckled ruefully. "If they didn't,I'd wonder why you were being so sloppy."

Kite gave him a look. "Why are you lettinghim oversee them? We all know what he's doing with them."

"Nobody will miss them," Keris said, "but ifyou want to sleep more comfortably over letting the little murdererplaying in the dungeon, I can list out in detail all the ways theybeat and raped women and children."

"More importantly, I can trust Keris. I knowwhat he wants and what he will do, who he will do it to. I don'tneed to worry about him getting revenge, or helping himself to theprisoners, or smuggling any of them out. Guards are necessary, butall too often they prove to be a necessary evil. Better the evil Iknow than the one I only learn about after something tragichappens."

Lifting a hand in surrender, Kite turned backto the papers on the table in front of him and the large glass ofwine in his other hand.

"What are you reading?"

Kite looked up again. "Letters. A great manypeople have written to Lysa pleading for sanctuary. He tossed manyof them, recognizing the names or finding other problematicelements, but he kept about twenty or so and asked me to read overthem."

"Intriguing."

Keris stirred, but Cohea gave him a warninglook, smothering a smile at the pout and irritated huff that earnedhim.

"Where is Lysa?"

"Resting," Kite replied, and gave him awarning look when Cohea smirked. "He was busy all day with fittingsand such. There's a lot to do when you leave literally everythingbehind to run for your life."

"I'm impressed there's anyone to do thework."

"A couple of shops are managing, and I thinkeveryone likes being busy building and making."

Cohea murmured in agreement but didn't get tomake a proper reply as their food arrived and his stomach gave asharp growl. Sobeki snickered, and Cohea rolled his eyes. "Thankyou."

When the servants had gone, he moved to sitat the table with Kite and dove into his meal with gusto. Keris,predictably, remained where he was, eating from the smaller table aservant had moved for him.

After most of the food was gone, and hisstomach was no longer displeased with him, Cohea ate what was leftmore slowly as he resumed conversing. "When is Oskia due home?"

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